All broken things aside (my laptop is officially toast, as is my bike tire and pump), we’re making the most of our non-fixing-things time here. We’re in a small town that’s directly north of a very cool lift bridge that crosses the canal dividing the eastern portion of the U.P. Few large boats need to […]
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The Mosquito Hike
You know things are quiet around here when I follow a post about seeing a bird’s nest with one about taking a three-mile speed walk around a wetland. But it gives me an excuse to provide your weekly mushroom slideshow! We booked it around this loop, skimming the interpretive signs and keeping Banjo on track […]
Eagle’s Nest Island
I’m one of those pitiable people who grew up when bald eagles were endangered and never saw them. I was in my 40s when I’d occasionally see one over the Potomac River in West Virginia or over Lake Anna in central Virginia, and I’d have a spaz attack. Now that I’m where they’re plentiful (Perch […]
The Sky on the Lake
I just can’t get enough of it. I would have spent more time on the water this evening had I realized when I got in the boat wearing my rainboots that eventually they wouldn’t really fit in there. Rainboots plus workout pants. My evening sky-appreciation attire.
Downtime in the Woods
I’ve described the campground where we decided not to stay and even the one we stayed at last, again, but I haven’t said much about this campground, and we’ve been here for five days. It’s peaceful here, so there’s not a lot to shout about. Biking Back Roads All the land around this lake is […]
I Need a Pith Helmet
Instead of this floppy gardening hat I bought back in Bethesda at the overpriced hardware store. I’m not sure what a pith helmet is exactly, but if it’s rigid and has bug netting, I’ll take it in trade. Seems like the hat you want for adventures. First Adventure: Finding a Place to Live We’d kind […]
A Shortcut to Mushrooms
You Tolkien people must’ve known I would eventually use this title for an entry. Turns out it’s a pretty good descriptor for the long hike we had on Tracy’s birthday, with a couple of shortcuts that turned into trouble. Well, the good news is that we didn’t run into a Nazgul, plus we didn’t see […]
Hiking with Tourists
AKA: Walking along Wooded Paths and Stepping aside Every Few Yards to Make Way for Others AKA: Pictures of Banjo’s Butt Tracy’s graciously done a lot of research to find us things to do each day, not that we’re bored, but we do want to take advantage of northern Wisconsin and Michigan while we’re up […]
Kayaking Our Corner of Lake Superior
This wide-open water is one of the reasons we brought the ocean kayaks—they move quickly so you can paddle from a ho-hum spot where you’ve put in to a more spectacular spot like one of the many islands around here. Tracy had in mind us kayaking out several miles to the famous Apostle Islands, but […]
Key Is Entering the Water Lilies Slowly
I finally found my groove in my new kayak (and with myself), at least for this lake. I slowed all the way to a meander as Tracy paddled away at his own rate. As long as I’m not trying to keep up or catch up, I seem to be okay. It’s the fast paddling that […]

